Continuous mining machine



April 23, 1963 BERGMANN CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE Filed Nov. '7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n INVENTOR.

E/ws ,Q ery/wann April 23, 1963 E. R. BERGMANN coNTINUoUs MINING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. rr/fsf R Beg/2mn M VW Atto/'neg Filed Nov. 7, 1960 3,086,7h2 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 3,086,762 CQNTINUUS MHQNG MACHINE Ernst R. Bergmann, Evergreen Park, Ill., assigner to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of illinois Filed Nov. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 67,670 6 claims. (cieca-9) This invention relates to improvements in continuous mining machines of the boring type and more particularly relates to an improved form of adjustable support means for the lower trimmer bar of the mining machine.

A principal object of the invention `is to provide an improved and more compact adjustable support for the lower trimmer bar of a continuous mining machine than formerly.

Another object of the invention is to improve upon the adjustable support for the lower trimmer har of a continuous mining machine and to reduce the space heretofore required for the support for the lower trimmer bar yby utilizing horizontally extending hydraulic jack means f0r supporting and adjusting the lower trimmer bar and changing the direction of movement of the jack means from horizontal to vertical movement.

A further object of the invention is to improve upon the adjustment means for the lower trimmer bar of adjustable height boring types of mining machines -by providing a pair of horizontal-ly extending hydraulic jacks -for supporting the lower trimmer bar and Foy connecting the jacks to the lower trimmer bar through rotatable direction changing collars and linkage connection connecting the collars to opposite end portions of the lower Itrimmer bar.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings where- FIGURE :1 is a front end View of a continuous mining machine constructed in accordance with the invention with certain parts broken away and certain other parts shown in vertical section in order to more clearly illustrate the adjustable support means for the lower trimmer bar;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side view of the machine shown in FIGURE l with certain parts broken away and certain other parts shown in longitudinal section;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view looking substantially along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view looking substantially along line 4 4 of FIGURE 2.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, I have shown in FIGURE l a continuous mining machine lil of the boring type in which boring heads 11 cut a plurality of contiguous bores in a mine Aface and upper and lower trimmer bars 12 and 13 respectively, are provided for trimming the cusps left between the boring heads, and in which the boring heads and trimmer bars are vertically adjustable to operate in varying thicknesses of `seams of coal, rock or the like.

The boring machine, as generally shown in 'FIGURE l, is of a type having -our boring heads, such as is shown and `described in Boesewetter Patent No. 2,834,588, issued May 13, 1958. The mining machine includes generally -a gear casing or cutter `frame 15 mounted on and projecting forwardly from the main frame (not shown) of the machine, for vertical and angular adjustment with respect thereto. The cutter frame 15 has spaced hubs 16 extending forwardly therefrom, forming supports for the rotatable boring heads `1.1. The boring heads 11 have the usual radial arms 17 having radially spaced arcuate cutters 18 projecting forwardly therefrom, with core breaker rollers 19 movable into the spaces between said cutters to break down the cores left between the kerfs cut iby said cutters. Said boring heads and cutters are no part of the present invention so need not herein be shown or described further.

The machine also has two spaced throats 20 having conveyors 21 movable therealong for picking up the material progressed to said throats by the boring arms 11, and conveying the material beyond the rear of the machine for discharge into shuttle cars or other material transporting means.

Between the throats Zt# and in advance thereof is a vertically extending divider plate 22 mounted on a support 23 -for the lower trimmer bar 13 and extending vertically therefrom. The divider plate 23 is generally V-shaped in form, with its apex `facing toward the front of the machine intermediate the throats 20' and abutting along the inside of its apex a vertical post 24 mounted on the `cutter frame 15 and depending therefrom, and forming an abutment and guide for the divider plate 2t) and also restraining the lower trimmer lbar 13 from rearward movement with respect to the cutter frame 15 during the mining operation.

Extending vertically yfrom and along the lower trimmer ybar 13 on the outsides of the throats 20 are pusher plates 25. 'Ihe pusher plates 25 are mounted on the cutter bar support 23 just rearwardly of the cutter bar 13 and extend vertically therefrom behind the outer boring heads I11 and have inner angular faces 26 extending inwardly of the inner ends thereof toward the throats 2G, for deilecting the material mined by the mining heads 11 into said throats as the machine is advanced into the working face.

Each pusher plate 25 has a rectangular recess 27 therein opening to the top thereof and registering with the hub 16 to accommodate vertical movement of said pusher plate along said hub upon vertical adjustment of the lower trimmer ybar 13 towards the hubs 16. The rectangular recess 27 has slidable guiding engagement with parallel vertically extending opposite guide surfaces 29 of a collar 39, mounted on an outer hub- 16 and secured thereto as by machine screws 31. A closure plate 32. is also mounted on the hub 16 on the outside of the collar 30 and is secured thereto as by machine screws 33. The closure plate 32 extends downwardly from the hub 16 along the outer side of the pusher plate 25 and closes the recess 2-7 in said pusher plate in all positions of vertical adjustment of said pusher plate with respect to said recess. The closure plates 32 also retain the pusher plates 2S yfrom outward movement with respect to the hubs 16, and said closure plates with the collars 30 form guides for the outer end portions of the cutter lbar support 23, guiding said support for vertical movement toward and from the hubs 16 and retaining said support from inward movement with respect to said hu-bs.

The cutter trame -15 also forms a support for the upper cutter lor trimmer bar 12, mounted on said cutter frame on laterally spaced vertically extending hydraulic jacks 3S mounted on the front of said cutter frame, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3,"and operable to vertically adjust the upper trimmer bar 12 to the required cutting height of the machine, and to retain said trimmer bar in a selected adjusted cutting position.

The cutter trame 15 besides forming a guide and reac-` tion means for the lower trimmer bar 13 also forms a support -for said lower trimmer bar on horizontally extending hydraulic jacks 36 in a manner which will hereinafter be more fully described as this specification proceeds.

A cutter chain 37 is trained about the usual corner sprockets at opposite ends of the upper and lower trimmer bars 12 and 13 respectively, tension is taken up on the A cutter chain 'by a ten-sion idler 39 and the cutter chain is driven from gearing journalled within the cutter frame 15 in a well known manner and no part of the present invention so not herein shown or described further.

Referring now -to the means for vertically adjusting the cutting heights of the lower trimmer bar 125,` the hydraulic jacks l36 each include a .cylinder 40 having spaced connectors 41 extending from the head end thereof toward the center of the machine along opposite sides of a bracket 43 secured to and extending upwardly from the post 24, and pivotal-1y connected to said bracket as by a pivot p Each cylinder 40 has a piston rod 45 extensible therefrom toward the outer side of the machine and pivotally connected at its outer end between two spaced connector ears 46 on a pivot pin 47. The connector ears 46 are shown as being formed integrally with and extending radially of a direction changing means in the form of a bellcrank or collar 49 rotatably mounted on a stepped portion 50 of a hub 16 on a bearing 51. The direction chang- :ing collar 49 abuts a shoulder 53 of the stepped portion 50 of the hub 16 at its inner end, and is abutted at its outer end by the collar 30, secured to said hub and extending radially of the stepped portion thereof.

The direction changing collar 49 `also has spaced connector ears 55 extending radially therefrom and spaced angularly from lthe connector ears 46 toward the lower end portion of said direction changing collar. A link 56 extends in the space between said connector ears and is pivotally connected thereto as by a pivot pin 57. The link 56 extends downwardly of .the connector ears 5S and pivot pin 57 and inwardly therefrom in a recessed portion 59 of the cutter bar support 23 and is pivotally connected to said recessed portion as by a pivot pin 60. It will be noted that the periphery of the direction changing collar 49 has a recessed portion 61 spaced lfrom `and conforming to the outer end portion of the link 56 and has a flattened portion 63 extending angularly downwardly therefrom `and limiting movement of the link 56 and vertical adjustment of the lower trimmer bar support 23 and the trimmer har 1'3 carried thereby.

The two hydraulic jacks 36 extending horizontally yand outwardly from the center of the machine, thus form a suspension means for the lower trimmer bar 13 through the direction changing collars 49 and links 56, and serve to suspend said lower trimmer bar from the cutter frame 15 and 4to vertically adjust said lower trimmer bar with respect to saidcutter frame.

It may further be seen that while the links 56 of themselves serve to retain the lower trimmer bar 13 from backward movement with respect to the hubs 16 during the cutting operation, that the divider plate 22 and the outer pusher plates 25 also serve as a vertical guide means for said lower trimmer |bar and retain said lower trimmer bar from backward movement Awith respect to .the hubs 16 and cutter frame 15 during the mining operation.

It may still yfurther be seen that the horizontally ex- Y tending jacks 36, direction changing collars 49 and links 56 serve as a simple and compact suspending and adjusting means for the llower trimmer bar, entirely outside of the throats and behind lthe pusher plates 25, affording a means for adjusting the lower trimmer bar 13 over a wide range of vertical positions of ladjustment andY for retaining said lower trimmer bar in various selected positions of vertical adjustment with respect to the ground, and requiring less vertical height than the usual hydraulic jacks supporting and vertically adjusting the lower trimmer bar.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may Ibe embodied,V it may readily be understood that various modifications and variations in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof as delined by the claims appended hereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a continuous mining machine, a frame having a plurality of boring heads rotatably mounted thereon for cutting contiguous bores in a mine face in advance of the machine, upper and lower horizontally extending trimmer bars mounted on said frame immediately to the rear of said boring heads, an endless cutter chain trained Valong said trimmer bars, horizontally extending hydraulic jack means for suspending the lower of said trimmer bars from said frame and vertically adjusting said trimmer bar with respect to said frame, comprising direction changing means pivotally mounted on said frame adjacent opposite ends thereof and operatively connected with said hydraulic jack means, and rigid links pivotally connected between said direction changing means and the lower of said trimmer bars.

2. In a continuous mining machine, a frame having a plurality of boring heads rotatably mounted thereon, upper and lower trimmer bars mounted on said frame immediately to the rear of said boring heads, an endless' cutter chain trained along said trimmer bars, means for driving said cutter chain along said trimmer bars, vertically extending hydraulic jack means for supporting the upper of said trimmer bars on said frame, the improvements comprising jack means suspending the lower of said trimmer bars from said frame and vertically adjusting said lower trimmer bar with respect to said frame, comprising two horizontally extending hydraulic jacks mounted on said frame, direction changing means rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent the outer ends thereof, pivotal connections between said jacks and said direction changing means, and rigid links pivotally connected between said direction changing means and the lower of said trimmer bars.

3. In a continuous mining machine, a frame having a plurality of boring heads rotatably mounted thereon, upper and lower trimmer bars mounted on said frame immediately to the rear of said boring heads, an endlessv cutter chain trained along said trimmer bars, means for driving said cutter chain along said trimmer bars, Vertically extending hydraulic jack means for supporting the upper of said trimmer bars on said frame, the improvements comprising jack means suspending the lower of said trimmer bars from said frame and vertically adjusting said trimmer bar with respect to said frame comprising two horizontally extending hydraulic jacks mounted on said frame and extending in opposite directions from the center thereof, direction changing means rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent the outer ends thereof, pivotal connections between said jacks and said direction changing means, linkage connections between said direction changing means and the lower of said trimmer bars, and means separate from said linkage connections and direction changing means for guiding the lower of said trimmer bars for vertical movement with respect to said frame and holding said lower trimmer bar from backward movement with respect to said frame during mining.

4. In a continuous mining machine, a frame having a plurality of boring heads rotatably mounted thereon, upper and lower trimmer bars mounted on said frame immediately to the rear of said boring heads, an endless cutter chain trained along said trimmer bars, means for driving said cutter chain along said trimmer bars, vertically extending hydraulic jack means for supporting the upper of said trimmer bars on said-frame, the improvements comprising jack means suspending the lower of said trimmer bars from said frame and vertically adjusting said trimmer bar with respect to said frame comprising two horizontally extending hydraulic jacks mounted on said frame and extending in opposite directions from the center thereof, direction changing means rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent the outer ends thereof, pivotal connections lbetween said jacks and said direction changing means, linkage connections between said Ydirec-Y tion changing means and the lower of said trimmer bars, and means separate from said linkage connections and direction changing means for guiding the lower of said trimmer bars for vertical movement with respect to said frame and holding said lower trimmer bar from backward movement with respect to said frame during mining, comprising a vertically extending divider plate secured to and extending vertically of the lower of said trimmer bars at the transverse center of the machine, and an abutment post carried by said frame and slidably engaged by the rear side of said divider plate.

5. In a continuous mining machine, a frame having a plurality of boring heads rotatably mounted thereon, upper and lower trimmer bars mounted on said frame immediately to the rear of said boring heads, an endless cutter chain trained along said trimmer bars, means for driving said cutter chain along said trimmer bars, vertically extending hydraulic jack means for supporting the upper of said trimmer bars on said frame, the improvements cornprising jack means suspending the lower oilsaid trimmer bars from said frame and vertically adjusting said trimmer bar with respect to said frame comprising two horizontally extending hydraulic jacks mounted on said frame and extending in opposite directions from the center thereof, direction changing means rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent the outer ends thereof, pivotal connections between said jacks and said direction changing means, individual links pivotally connected to said direction changing means and having pivotal supporting connection with the lower of said trimmer hars, and means separate from said linkage connections and direction changing means for guiding the lower of said trimmer bars for vertical movement with respect to said frame and holding said lower trimmer bar from backward movement with respect to said frame during mining, comprising spaced pusher plates mounted on the lower of said trimmer bars adjacent opposite end portions thereof and having slidable engagement with said frame.

6. ln a continuous mining machine, a frame having more than two laterally spaced hubs projecting forwardly therefrom and having boring heads rotatably supported thereon, two laterally spaced throats on opposite sides of the center of said frame having conveyors extending rearwardly therealong, upper and lower trimmer bars mounted on said frame immediately to the rear of said boring heads, an endless cutter chain trained along said trimmer bars and driven therealong, vertically extending hydraulic jack means for supporting the upper of said trimmer bars on said frame, the improvements comprising horizontally extending hydraulic jack means mounted on said frame on opposite sides of the center thereof, rotatable direction changing means mounted on said frame on the outermost of said hubs, pivotal connections between said jack means and said direction changing means, a rigid link pivotally connected to each direction changing means and extending downwardly therefrom and having pivotal connection with the lower of said trimmer bars adjacent an end thereof, a central divider secured to the lowermost of said trimmer bars and extending vertically therefrom and diverging rearwardly from said trimmer bar toward said throats, and means for holding said lower trimmer bar from backward movement with respect to said frame during mining comprising a post rigidly mounted on said frame rearwardly of said divider and forming an abutment for said divider and the lower of said trimmer bars.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,808,251 Anderson Oct. 1, 1957 2,834,588 Boesewetter May 13, 1958 2,868,529 Lundquist lan. 13, 1959 

1. IN A CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE, A FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF BORING HEADS ROTATABLY MOUNTED THEREON FOR CUTTING CONTIGUOUS BORES IN A MINE FACE IN ADVANCE OF THE MACHINE, UPPER AND LOWER HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING TRIMMER BARS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME IMMEDIATELY TO THE REAR OF SAID BORING HEADS, AN ENDLESS CUTTER CHAIN TRAINED ALONG SAID TRIMMER BARS, HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING HYDRAULIC JACK MEANS FOR SUSPENDING THE LOWER OF SAID TRIMMER BARS FROM SAID FRAME AND VERTICALLY ADJUSTING SAID TRIMMER BAR WITH RESPECT TO SAID FRAME, COMPRISING DIRECTION CHANGING MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME ADJACENT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID HYDRAULIC JACK MEANS, AND RIGID LINKS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID DIRECTION CHANGING MEANS AND THE LOWER OF SAID TRIMMER BARS. 